Electric cut-out



(No Model.)

' W. H. S. WRIGHT.

ELECTRIC GUT-OUT.

No. 398,566. Patented Feb. 26, 1889.

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electro-motive force on the line.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. S. VRIGHT, OF KA)1 SAS CITY, MISSOURI.

ELECTRIC CUTE-OUT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 398,566, dated February 26, 1889.

Application filed December 20, 1888i Serial No. 294,160. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern-.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. S. WRIGHT, i of Kansas City, Jackson county, Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Cut-Outs, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

This invention relates to an improvement i iircut-outs for electric lamps, and particularly to incandescent electroliers. In the arrangement of a system for incandescent lighting it is necessary to provide means for relievin g a loop from a main-line wire (that conveys current into a series of incandescent electroliers) of excess of current occasioned by impediments on the line or any other cause, as, if such provision is not made, there is danger of burning up the carbon filaments in a number of electroliers; or the insulation which prevents contact of the loop with combustible wood-work in a building may be destroyed bythe excess of electricity and a disastrous coniiagration result. The usual means provided to prevent injury resulting from an excess in the current of electricity on a main conductor-wire, or any loops in connection with the same, is to introduce rheostats or pcurrent-absorbers at different points on the line or its branches. These devices are cumbersome, complicated, and expensive, and are not assuredly reliable under all conditions of service.

The best possible provision that can be ct'- fected for the safety of the electroliers or the prevention of lire is to separate the line of conductor-wire when there is dangerous excess of electrical current or an increase of The object of my present invention is to provide a simple, reliable, and inexpensive device which is introduced in the line of conductor-wire at any desired point in the form of a neat coupler, which will, when there is an abnormal increase of electro-motive force or volume of electric current thrown on a main conductor-wire or its loops, instantly separate the line and cut out the loop which supplies a series of electroliers with current, or an individual lamp, as the case may be.

A further object is to provide a cut-out del i vice which will not be liable to short-circuit the line or produce a ground-connection on either of the separated terminals of the conductor-wire when the line is severed.

With these objects in view my invention consists in certain features of construction and combinations of parts, which will be more fully explained in the specilication, and pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l is a view of the base of a an electrolier, partly in section, showing two of the improved cut-out devicesin position, or this may represent a main stem of a chandelier upon which are supported a cluster of electroliers, these being omitted from the figure. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of one of the improved cut-outs enlarged, the terminals of line-wire being also shown in connection therewith. Fig. 3 is an end view of the device. Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of one of the essential features of the cut-out device removed from the other por-- tions of the same.

A represents a 'metal shell or casing, which is a cover for the leading-in wires of au electrolicr, or it maybe aiiuishing-case at the upper end of a depending stem of a chandelier, consisting of a cluster of electroliers that are to be guarded against injury from excess of current. The leading-in wires which convey the electricity to one or a series of electrolierlamps are represented at u u u` u in Figs. l and i2. These are protected by the usual approved insulating-coating.

lVhere the cut-out coupling' B is introduced the leading-in wire is severed, producing two ends, c', (sec Fig. 2,) the body of the wire bcing properly cleaned off, so as to afford a good comlucting-surface for electricity. Upon the ends of the wires d the sleeves or collars d are slipped and made to abut against the insulating-coatingf1 There are two elongated metal cylinders, E E', provided, which have an axial perforation formed in them of such relative diameter that the sleeves d will neatly fit within them near their outer ends when the cylinders are placed over the terminal ends of the leadingin wires d, which ends also iit the bore of the cylinders neatly', as shown in Fig. 2.

Upon the outer surface of the cylinders E -facture of the fusibleconnecting-piece a', as

' the outer ends of said cylinders when they are in position on them. This provision will i; afford protection to the electrically-conducting cylinders if the ends of the wires a should fall upon the ground or upon an electrical conductor having contact with the ground.

The shells h may be made of any non-coni ducting material, preferably hard rubber Vor gutta-purcha. 1

It will be noticed in Fig. 2 that there is a connecting-piece of metal rod, a', introduced i within the adjacent ends of the cylinders E E. Said rod or piece of wire is of the same diami eter or gage as the leading-in wires a aand y produces an electrical connection between f the terminals of these wires when it is in proper position, as shown.

To effect the electrical junction of the leading-in wires d ci just mentioned, the ends of the connecting-piece a are enveloped with i fer-rules or sleeves d', which are of harder metal than is the rod Ct', said rod being composed of any metallic alloy that will afford j proper electrical conducting-area to anormal current of electricity, while it is not of such conductivity as will pass freely a current of abnormal energy.

` It is essential that the connectingrod c be fusible at a comparatively low temperature, so that the heat generated from its resistance K to the transmission of electricityof such abnormal quantity or high electro-motive force as would injure lamps or create lires will be great enough to melt the fusible alloy, and thus separate the ends of the line-wi res or leadingin wires c u.

I do not limit myself to any particular composite metal or alloy of metals for the manuupon the strength of current it is desired to pass over the wires before the connection a. should melt.

In order to hohl the parts intactwhen they ses, 566

piece or fusee et', 1aslwell as proper electrical 4 conductivity through these met-al pieces.

It is important that the heads of the screws h should Vbe embedded in the insulating materia-l of the shells h, thus protecting them from contact with any electrical conductor in case the fusiblerod ct is melted and the two sections of thecouplerare separated, as these may fall to the ground and short-circuit the current if the heads of ,the screws were eX- posed above the insulating-shells h 71,.

At the inner or adjacent ends of the cylin ders E E a perforation, c, of sufficient size is formedlin the shells h and cylinders E E', so as to provide la transverse aperturefrom which the melted alloy may escapein case the fusible rod a. is melted atany time. This .will remove the Vmetallic compound andV prevent it from forming anelectrical connection while in a melted condition, or after cooling.A

Having fully describedmy invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by L etters Patent, is-

posed of Vmetallic alloy, two cylinders having electrical conductivity, two enveloping-shells of insulating substance, two sleeves or ferrules placed on the ends of the fusible rod, and set-screws which engage these ferrules and have their heads embedded in theinsu- Vlating-shells, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM H. S. VRIGHT. Witnesses: F. G. FISCHER,

A. A. HIGDoN. 

